Category: Operation 17

Surface Report – FEF Operation 17 – Crow’s Log

Mission Richtofen

We had Hazard, Konrad, Anthony, Stripes, Sicknote, Scar, Ned, Vortigan, Tank, and myself.

We had a good spread of skills I think I would of preferred a second marksman style gunner but we made due with myself and scar

start of mission very very bad we we pinned down by a team of super mutants one wit a very powerful and scary sniper after the whole team went down apart from the doctor he was able to get us all up apart from sadly tank but the doctor acted quickly enough and says he should be able to revive him no idea how that is way above my knowledge and skill.

it was at this point I had flanked the sniper and was sniping him sadly my gun was malfunctioning or my aim was very very bad but as I was unable to take him out before we had to retreat it was at this point I decided to return back to a trusty dmr, after retreating and coming up with a new plan we set up along the road for clear lines of sight we were chased by the super mutant sniper but this gave us the opportunity to draw him out into the open and kill him.

after moving further up we found the doctor but he was surrounded by Victorians and they were trying to kidnap him while we were dealing with the butchers Anthony went to hold there retreat as I started to follow Anthony went down as did I thankfully the team was able to finish off the butchers and advance on the Victorians and remove them from the board and got me and Anthony back up nice and quick.

after checking the doctor was ok we moved up back onwards fort ned we came upon a upwards incline road with my Victorians on as the group advanced on them I flanked them through the trees on the right and was able to help take out who i’m guessing was there leader, as we advanced up the hill we came across move Victorians and removed them before we had scar and hazard move up with the doctor.

after we took a minute to get situated and take on water we were heading through death ally when Konrad was convincing 2 Victorians to approach as he had told them he was there commanding officer that’s when ned pulled out his secret knife and killed them both instantly.

after dealing with a few more Victorians we came to a great defensible location that dahl had found for us and we held there fending off all the Victorian patrols wave after wave of red with some very close calls and some very nice shooting from out team we did a great job holding out. dahl was able to hack the enemy coms and send false reports of where we were which gave us the gap we needed to make a break for it and get back to fort ned safely.

all in all it went better then expected and im very impressed with how the team handled themselfs and how we worked as a team. it is sad to know tank gave his life for this misson but the doctor asures me he is capable of bringing him nack how thats possible im not sure but i know 2 other members have come back before

The Skid Risk Map

Mr Candy and Calvin of Skid Risk were kind enough to agree to trade for access to their version of the current map of the UK. We only have pictures as they were not willing to give up their map for any credits. 

It has different locations on it than the Knights’ map and extra details on some of the locations that the Knights had told us about but had less information on. 

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Crow, NED, General Kreige, Riley and Ducky among others who listened to my ramblings and helped get the required funds for the map. 

In the coming months and years as we spread out from coalition lands, I find the thoughts of pushing past Ardent and Colossus lands exciting. Those that live on the Isles of Rust in the middle of the sea are especially interesting as that means they have learnt to deal with Hive Poseidon.

As always if you would like better images of the maps I have more and in closer detail that I can send to you.

Sally Fields

 The Map with Crow

A Rootin’ Tootin’ Miracle

By Obadiah

Well now, lemme spin ya a yarn ‘bout a day that damn near cracked my brain in two — I call it Mindfuck, Part One. Pull up a stump, son, and mind the fire.

We rode out that mornin’ on a mission, huntin’ down a nest o’ mean sons o’ bitches — big ol’ freaks, stronger than oxen and twice as ugly. Supermutants, they call ‘em. Don’t rightly know where they come from, but they sure as hell weren’t born of no woman.

Anyhow, we was movin’ through the woods, boots kickin’ up dirt, lead flyin’ thick through the trees. Runnin’ and gunnin’, dodgin’ death like it was a square dance partner. Poor Clay caught a mess o’ bullets and went down hard. But I weren’t about to let him die. Slid in on my knees right through the gunfire like I was doin’ the limbo at the Devil’s hoe-down, slapped a med patch on his chest just as the last of his life was leakin’ out.

I’ll be honest, I don’t remember every bit — took a few slugs myself, went down like a sack o’ potatoes. But thanks to them fancy nannites buzzin’ around in my blood, I was back on my feet before you could say “whiskey.” Obediah? That crazy bastard was a goddamn whirlwind, both pistols barkin’, teeth bared, eyes wild. Like he was born to die but hadn’t got around to it yet.

It was dicey, I won’t lie. They had us pinned like bugs to a board. Then the worst happened — Ashman got dropped. Not the kind of drop you can walk off neither. I’m talkin’ real death. Cold. Permanent.

And then somethin’… somethin’ I still ain’t sure I rightly understand. That entity, Aura — some kinda spirit or god or who-the-hell-knows — lit up the staff she calls home. Light poured outta it, so bright it near burned the back o’ my eyes. It wrapped around Ashman, lifted him up like the hand o’ God itself. Time stopped. Not quiet, like a still mornin’ — silent, with a Capital S. The kind o’ silence that makes your bones ache. It made my heart ache too to be able to call Aura Family cos that’s what we is in a way. 

Then — bam — time snapped back like a whip crack, bullets flyin’ again like nothin’ had happened. ‘Cept Ashman was standin’ tall like he’d never been dead at all.

Aura was also very quiet … Too quiet like shed given her all to save him and had nothing left. 

Well sir, we figured we’d had our fill of dyin’ and miracle-workin’ for one day, so we pulled back. Truth be told, I don’t even remember why we went in there in the first place. Some orders from the bunkers, they said it was important. Pays decent, I reckon. But hell… after seein’ a man die and come back like that?

That ain’t the kind of thing you forget. Not ever.

Report – Defence of Fort Ned by FEF forces and the seismic bomb

By Franklin Clay

Fort Ned was attacked by Super Mutants on the second day of the last surface expedition. As per new policy amongst the various soldiers I assumed military command of the mission.

We were initially expecting a mission in the more traditional sense, heading out from Fort Ned to take on a group of mutants. Instead, they came to us. The initial attack came from the treeline Fort Ned faces out onto with mutants firing from positions on both the left and right sides of the trees. After exchanging fire for a few minutes the first of the larger butchers came at us, hiding behind shields and bringing large melee weapons to bear. Luckily they were charging across a sizeable open field and the majority were cut down before they got to the fort, largely due to crossfire from our snipers down the left side of the field.

It was a rough fight, the mutants can take a sizeable amount of fire before they drop, but we persisted. A solid firing line behind the hedge kept the field secure but that led to the mutants starting to approach from the right hand side along the road. A few of us ended up working our way around the smaller buildings near to the fort and taking up positions there. It proved to be a hard fight as a small number of mutants were very well dug in to sniper positions before we located them.

As the attack ebbed though we got dire news over the radio. A small party of mutants were on their way to the mines at Blackhill armed with a sizeable bomb. We reacted swiftly and split our forces. Half of us made our way into the trees and set off to intercept the bombers.

The trees were clear so we made swift progress but as we got close to the target area we got radio messages from back at Fort Ned to say a second wave of the assault was underway and they needed assistance. Initially we pressed on with our mission, figuring the civilians of Blackhill were more important but as the messages from the fort got more desperate we relented and split our forces further, sending the majority of our group back to the fort and leaving myself and then General Aggro on overwatch.

I was not there, so I am unable to comment in detail, but the forces back at Fort Ned were hard pressed and suffered two casualties as a result of being overwhelmed and caught away from their ammo supplies. It is my hope someone amongst that group will be able to give more detail.

Back at the roadside, myself and then General Aggro intercepted the mutants with the bomb but they took a great deal of fire to drop, so we only managed to stop them about 4-5 metres from their target. The device detonated as they fell, knocking both of us off our feet.

As we rallied and surveyed the area we noticed flames and destruction from Blackhill itself, despite it being a significant distance away, far further from the blast than either myself or Aggro. The target site for detonation was a handful of metres away and still nowhere near Blackhill. We then surmised that it wasn’t simply a bomb. I went to Blackhill alongside Sally Fields and whilst she did what she could to assist people I interrogated their head geologist. Their coal mine had suffered a partial collapse and it became clear the bomb was in fact some kind of shaped charge or seismic device designed to collapse the mine entirely. The bomb detonating just short of the target saved the mine and meant that the damage done was recoverable. I would very much like to commend Sally for her organisational skills, as she rallied the residents of Blackhill into better action to put out fires, rescue people and generally make good the damage done. I believe headless chickens is the most apt phrase to describe the place before she got stuck in.

Surface Report – FEF Operation 17 – Day One Report – Pvt Vortigern

Private Vortigern Day One.

Upon deployment to the surface, I quickly realized I was the only new recruit assigned to the sector — a fact that became apparent the moment I stepped off the transport. My decision to leave the Bunker and enlist with the FEF had been made quickly, and while driven by purpose, it left me underprepared for the harsh realities of life topside. The environment was unforgiving, the conditions unpredictable, and I lacked both the gear and the experience to adapt seamlessly.

This initial oversight has been a valuable learning experience. Moving forward, I intend to ensure I’m fully equipped and mission-ready before each deployment. First lesson learned — and not to be underestimated: always wear trousers. The surface doesn’t take kindly to poor wardrobe choices

Shortly after establishing my position topside, I found myself on the periphery of a politically and criminally sensitive situation. A tribal psionic operative identified as Indy Skywalker was taken into FEF custody under charges of alleged criminal activity against FEF. While initial detainment procedures were executed without incident, her trial has since been suspiciously postponed, with no confirmed date set for proceedings — raising concerns of potential political interference or internal friction.

Complicating matters further, Skywalker has also been accused of crimes against various tribal factions under the influence of Lord Raz. In response, Raz has issued an exceptionally high-value bounty on her head, escalating tensions between his forces and FEF command. The situation remains volatile, with legal ambiguity and political pressure threatening to undermine operational cohesion on both sides

My first experience with surface combat occurred that evening under less-than-ideal conditions. Fort Ned came under sudden attack from the darkness — a coordinated and aggressive assault that threw the entire base into chaos. At the time, we had no clear intel on the identity of the enemy. Given the rising tensions and unstable political climate, many initially believed that Lord Raz had broken his alliance and launched the offensive. However, it was later confirmed that the attackers were a warband of super mutants. They exploited the cover of night and used our own perimeter lighting against us — we were fully illuminated, easy targets, while they remained hidden in the shadows. The engagement was intense, fast, and a harsh introduction to the brutal reality of surface warfare.

Despite the confusion and the odds, we held our ground. Through coordinated defence and quick response from our fireteams, we were able to drive the mutants back beyond the perimeter. Remarkably, we suffered no casualties. It was a testament to the discipline and readiness of the Fort Ned garrison — and a hard-earned reminder that in this conflict, vigilance is everything. After repelling the attack sometime later a man arrived fleeing and seeking sanctuary. Turned out he was a former member of the (inert name) under the old regime called Archie and was tasked to do abhorrent research on the Hike. He was being pursued by an Aegis operative who had been ordered to bring Archie to justice.  After much deliberation by the counsel, they handed him over to the Operative and was summarily executed on the spot. Causing an uproar in the base over the next few days if it was the right decision to do.